"Wait until they get a load of me!" Those were classic words uttered out of the lips of no other than Jack Nicholson. He was and will always be the joker. He was truly right for the role. Who else could take such a sinister, and unpredictable character, and turn him into a work of art but Jack Nicholson.
Don't get me wrong Heath Ledger did a remarkable job on the remake Lord rest his soul. But still if I had to bet the house, it would definitely be on Jack. That cynical laugh and grin were so memorable. He looked so happy but yet so super creepy! He was truly the criminal genius that brought havoc to the streets of Gotham City.
Even Batman knew he had his work cut out for him when he heard Nicholson was playing the part of the joker. Jack Nicholson has a way of really portraying insane and psychotic men in movies. I don't know where he got the practice, but I love it! I even thought the clown make-up was incredible. I mean after a long day of leading Gotham's underworld through the mischiefs that he did, he didn't smudge his clown make-up. I really didn't like Heath's makeup. It looked like he started to wash his face and then changed his mind. Both Jack and Heath were convincingly deviant, but I liked the fact that Jack did it with a smile on his face. Kinda like some of the men I've dated.
Jack Nicholson is just an incredible actor to me. Everything he does is golden. He becomes the character; whether it be a villain or hero, he always comes out on top. That's why he's an Academy award winner. Jack's role as the Joker was a timeless classic. I really do not think that anyone else could have pulled that off but him. He was comical at times which made it fun to watch. And the times when he was creepy, he was really creepy. I remember having nightmares about the Joker character that he played. I was about 11 years old then.
I took my kids to see the new Batman and they were fine. No nightmares or night sweats or anything. That's no good! Even though I enjoyed both movies my favorite would definitely be the classic 1989 version. Jack Nicholson made that movie. Yes, I enjoyed Michael Keaton as the Batman and I also enjoyed Kim Basinger as Vicky Veil. Her scream was one to remember, but not as memorable as Nicholson. And regardless of who else they get to play the Joker in future movies he won't compare. Jack will always be the crowned King Clown of Crime known as the Joker.